UNIT ONE

CARTOGRAPHY AND MAP READING

Main Contents

1.1. Definition and concepts of Cartography

1.2. History of Cartography

1.3. Scope of Cartography

1.4. Cartographic Communication system and process

1.1. Definition and concepts of Cartography

 Cartography is the science, and art of making and using maps.

 Map-making is the study and practice of skill representations of the

Earth upon a flat surface.

 Cartography is the art and science of representing three dimensional

earth on a two dimensional plane.

 One who makes maps is called a cartographer.

 Cartography is a system for bringing a sections or all of the earths

surface into view.
 Cont’d…
 Cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in
the ways that communicate spatial information effectively.
 It is an art involving design and also a science due to representation
of the earth (or another planet) visual and non-visual attributes.
 it is the study & practice of map making.
 Previously, only it was believed as the art of map making but this
understanding changed & get attention in the mid 20 th c.
 1.2 History of Cartography
 The earliest known map is a matter of some debate, because the definition of
the map is not sharp.

 The oldest surviving world maps are the "Babylonian" world maps from the
9th c BC for the purpose of collecting tax revenue.

 Ancient Greeks and Romans, Arab scholars contributed a lot for the current
status of cartographic outputs as of the 6th c BC.

 In the age of investigation, (15thc-17th c AD European cartographers drawn

their own map based on explorers observations and new surveying techniques.
 Cont’d…
 The oldest maps were made on clay plates and found in Babylon.

 Early maps have also been produced on papyrus and rice paper.

 18" & 19 modern age: scientific principles applied on map making.

 20th C:Aerial map, satellite image, remote sensing and GIS were developed.

 The invention of magnetic compass and telescope enabled Increasing

accuracy in Cartography.

The first known cartographer was Ptolemaios, a Greek who lived in

Alexandria, Egypt.
 Cont’d…

• He died about AD 165 and he knew that the Earth was round.

• He was a scientist in astronomy, geography, and mathematics.

• his most important work was the Geographia, a manual that showed what
the Romans knew about the world in his time, combined with a guide
how to produce world and regional maps.

• The invention of magnetic compass and telescope enabled Increasing

accuracy.
 Cont’d

 For a long time ordinary paper has been one of the most common map
media. But now, the screens on computers and mobiles are the most
common ones and the web is the most popular platform for
communicating information in map form.

 “The translation into Latin & dissemination of Geography in Europe,

in the beginning of 15th marked the rebirth of scientific Cartography”.

 Previously, it was believed as the art of map making but this

understanding changed & get attention in the mid 20 th c.
 The Fundamental Problems of Traditional Cartography
 Setting the map’s agenda & selecting the traits(character) of the object to be
mapped. This is the concern of map editing (traits may be physical: road or
land masses or it may be abstract: political boundaries).

 Representing the terrain of the mapped object on a flat media. This is the
concern of map projection.

 Eliminate the characteristics of the mapped object that are not relevant to the
map’s purpose. (the concern of map generalization). However,

 Modern cartography is largely integrated with geographic information

science and constitutes many theoretical & practical foundations of GIS.
1.3. SCOPE OF CARTOGRAPHY: POSSIBILITY TO FOCUS

Map maker

Data Map
(collection, map designing)

Map user
 PROCESSES IN CARTOGRAPHY
 Map making involves three stages or processes:

1. Collection, Organization and manipulation of data.

 Data collection from existing maps, aerial photographs or digital imagery,

documents e.g. legal descriptions of property boundaries, historical documents,
etc., field work or questionnaire surveys.

 Data organized to understand the phenomena being represented.

 Data manipulation in a form suitable for map making i.e. aggregating data to
some specified set of spatial units, percentages, densities or other summary
measures.
 2. Design and Preparation of Maps

 Many decisions go into the design of an effective map.

 These include geographic features and thematic attributes.

 The choices depend upon purpose of the map, the intended audience and
the cartographer’s understanding of the phenomena being represented.

 Maps of large areas it is a must to choose an appropriate map projection.

 Small scale maps are less detailed but covers a larger area.
 3. Map Reproduction
§ Map reproduction methods acts as a constraint on the map design
process.

§ If only few copies of maps are required then black and white and color
laser printing and Xeroxing technology is ideal.

§ If large number of copies then offset printing is the only practical

alternative.

§ Digital formats on tapes, disks or CD-ROM is replacing or reducing

the need for printed maps.
 Principles of Cartographic design
 Cartographers apply many design principles.

⁕ Legibility: The ability to be seen and understood.

⁕ visual contrast: Making different map symbols visually distinguishable.

⁕ Figure-ground organization: the spontaneous separation of the figure in

the foreground.

⁕ Hierarchical organization: separate meaningful characteristics to portray

likenesses, differences, and interrelationships.

⁕ Balance: the organization of the map and other elements on the page.
 1.4. Cartographic Communication system and process
Cartographic communication system is a process of sending and transmitting
information, idea & message to a receiver at specific time and space).

Geographical Recognised Map

Environment Geographical MAP
Image
Information

Transform 1 T2 T3
 Emphasis on Cartographic Representation
 The principal task of cartography is to communicate environmental
information.

 The emphasis on cartographic representation is map effectiveness in thought

and communication.

 This is best achieved by treating the making and using of maps equally.
 Elements of Simple Communication system

 Source(Real world) encoder(map symbols) channel(map)

receiver(decoder) or map user.

Sources of cartographic data:

Primary data sources(from field, Remote sensed data).

Secondary data sources (population data, historical archives).

 UNIT TWO
COORDINATE SYSTEM OF THE EARTH

2.1. Types of Coordinate System

2.2. Shape of the earth and coordinate system
 2. COORDINATE SYSTEM OF THE EARTH
 Geospatial data should be geographically referenced which mean geo-
referenced or geo-coded in a common coordinate system.

 The reference points are called ground control points.

 A coordinate system is a reference system used to represent the locations of

geographic features, imagery, and observations such as GPS locations within a
common geographic framework.

 Geo-referencing involves two stages:

1. Geographic Coordinate System

2. Projected Coordinate System